Engineering insights: Kevin Klem ’80

With employers like Hughes Aircraft, Raytheon, and Ball Aerospace on his resume, this alumnus now brings his expertise to the role of mentor for the next generation of engineers

Kevin Klem Headshot

Kevin Klem ’80

Kevin Klem ’80 grew up in rural Pennsylvania. He was a curious kid who wanted to know how things worked, including the television set, the radio, and the family’s station wagon. He remembers taking the TV apart with his dad, and then pulling out a few of the vacuum tubes to learn how they control the flow of electricity.

When Klem was a teenager, he started working on his first car as well as the family cars. In high school, he took his core academic classes in the morning at his high school and then went to a vocational technology school in the afternoon, where he could delve into electronics theory and hands-on projects.

This was the life of a future engineer…

Mentoring and more

Charles Pan '22 headshot

Charles Pan ’22

Since 2020, Klem’s been part of The Meliora Collective Mentorship Program, which runs two formal mentorship programs each year. One of his mentees, Charles Pan ’22, a mechanical engineering major, was very interested in the automotive industry and wanted to know more about it. As it turned out, Klem knew someone who was very well known in the NASCAR world.

“By tapping into my network, I was able to connect Charles to Dennis Fischer, who has built engines for Dale Earnhardt and other top NASCAR drivers,” says Klem. “Charles spent about an hour with Dennis who gave him insight into the field. Mentors can do this sort of thing—open up their networks and share their life experiences and know-how.”

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By Amber Graham
Amber Graham Director of Data and Operations